Comparative efficacy of long-acting depot and oral neuroleptic medications in preventing schizophrenic recidivism.

Two health service data bases provided data on the use of neuroleptic medications in the maintenance therapy of schizophrenic patients in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The pattern of prescribing medication appeared to be influenced by the bed-to-population ratio. For 1235 discharged schizophrenic patients, the 2-year rehospitalization rate (56%) was higher than expected. Although oral maintenance therapy predominated, patients maintained on long-acting depot neuroleptic medication had a significantly lower (p less than .05) rehospitalization rate than those on oral preparations. The highest rehospitalization rate was found among patients prescribed combined depot and oral preparations, confirming the ineffectiveness of combined medication. Using data bases avoided the sampling bias inherent in prospective controlled trials and provided a complementary epidemiologic dimension to the study of maintenance neuroleptic therapy of schizophrenia under normal treatment conditions.